Malik the polar bear loves to make a splash with his new rugby ball

Malik the polar bear certainly has the physique of a burly rugby player, but it seems he likes to use some extra apparatus to help him hold onto his ball.

Close control: The animal runs holding the ball like a rugby player (Picture: Rex)

Despite being able to expertly carry the ball, which he was recently given as a gift, with his paws, the large animal enjoys sticking his head into a plastic tube and using it as a scoop to pick it up.

Malik and his fellow polar bears at their enclosure at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark are given new toys to keep them entertained – and it’s obviously working.

Sussi Kober of the zoo said: ‘He got the new ball as a gift for his birthday from some of his fans.

Pipe down: The polar bear likes to make a splash in his enclosure (Picture: Rex)

‘He is extremely fond of the egg and considers it to be his own special golden egg.

‘His mum Victoria sometimes puts her paw on it, but Milak doesn’t like that. He gets the egg back and starts to show off what he’s able to do with it.

‘He used to try and catch a white plastic container by putting a tube on his head and diving at it, but now the golden egg is the target for his fun. He is a real artist.’